Breathe Deeply
by False Modesty
Summary: Frustrated with Edward's hesitance toward intimacy, Bella finally persuades him to build on the physical aspect of their relationship. But with Edward preoccupied with an unwelcome guest, how far will they be able to go? Takes place post-Twilight.
1. The Meadow

Author's Note: This story was initially intended to be a simple interlude between Edward and Bella, but after writing several chapters I realized that it could (and will) turn into something more. The events here take place at some point after _Twilight_. This is written for people who, like me, simply cannot get enough of Edward and Bella's endearing interactions, but who also enjoy a bit of plot with their fluff.

Inspiration while writing: _Your Hand in Mine_ by Explosions in the Sky

* * *

**Breathe Deeply**

**_A Fan-Fiction by False Modesty_**

* * *

I loved being here like this, with him. As he lay beside me, his skin sparkled like a sheet of exotic diamonds, interrupted only by his piercing amber eyes and his endearingly crooked smile. It was during moments like this with Edward, here in the meadow, our private sanctuary, that I realized the extent to which I was completely and utterly in love in with him.

It was an uncharacteristically warm afternoon in Forks, and after our final class that day Edward and I drove down the one-ten to the forest that had become our own little secret. He was in a good mood and decided to humor me by laying with me for a while in the meadow, beneath the warm sky. I loved watching his skin sparkle more brilliantly than the sun itself.

He lay next to me in the grass, one hand folded behind his head and the other holding me securely to his solid chest. We lounged for a few moments in silence, his fingertips gently stroking my bare arm and my own hands curiously tracing the contours of his angular jaw down to his abdomen, firm even beneath his shirt.

"Edward?" I murmured, feeling my coherence slip away as I drank in his near-perfect features.

"Mmm?" he said absentmindedly, reaching to gently stroke my cheek with the backs of his fingers.

"When I'm with you…," I paused, moving my lips but unable to formulate the words correctly. His beautiful amber eyes were fixated on my face intently, curiously.

"I just…," I continued, before sighing and giving up. "I love you." I moved closer to him, resting my forehead against his as I simply enjoyed the close contact. He returned the gesture by playfully rubbing the tip of his nose against mine several times. I giggled quietly, girlishly, in spite of myself, and his deep, easy laughter echoed in return.

"You're usually more eloquent than this, Bella," he admonished gently, the corners of his mouth tilting up as he arched a perfectly masculine eyebrow.

I sighed. He was frustratingly right, as usual – I typically was eloquent, and sarcastic. But those traits usually vanished when I was with Edward. He reduced me to a mumbling, girlish mess, and I think I had reached the point where I didn't mind it one bit. The only option I had left to avoid making a complete fool of myself, I thought, was to be completely straightforward.

"Time stands still," I said simply, my eyes locking with his as we stayed close, with our foreheads touching. "When we're here, like this, I can picture being with you forever, spending time sitting with you and talking to you about the most inconsequential things. I never want it to stop."

I wasn't entirely sure what the point of all of this was, or what exactly had possessed me to tell Edward this. It could have been the breathtaking beauty of his solid form, stretched out so casually beside me, or the perfection of his easy grin and intense eyes, always focused on me as though I were the most precious treasure in the world. It could have been the serene mood we were both in at that exact moment, lulled by the warm sunlight and the whisper-soft breeze that caressed our skin at just the right moments. Regardless, I felt the overwhelming need to express to Edward that he was the most important person in my life – and I knew in my very core that that was never going to change.

"Bella," he said huskily, gently bringing me back from my thoughts. He sat upright and pulled me into his lap. I sighed, laying my head against his chest as his pale, slender fingers combed through my hair, his fingertips lightly massaging my scalp. "You are perfect. Do you know that?"

His voice sounded gentle and rugged at the same time, and I felt my cheeks flush in a mixture of self-consciousness and excitement. "I want you," I murmured, my hands wrapping around his torso and coming to rest at his hard, muscled back. I squeezed my eyes shut and sighed, expecting him to gently push me away, knowing I'd probably gone too far.

But Edward simply let his fingers trail down to the tips of my long brown hair before forming a secure hold around my waist, drawing me even closer to him. I couldn't help but smile, feeling so protected, so loved. I was so lucky to have him.

"I want you, too," he breathed, his lips touching down gently on the top of my head.

I tilted my head to look up at him, my eyes wide with surprised. "You do?" I could feel my heart drumming persistently in my chest.

He flashed me a wide smile that I returned immediately. "Of course, silly," he murmured as he softly kissed the tip of my nose. "But that doesn't mean we can do anything about it," he added, speaking slowly and patiently.

I growled from somewhere deep in my throat and pouted up at him, my frustration hopelessly evident. I was beginning to resign myself to a future of gentle kisses and caresses – something that any normal girl would be thrilled to have, especially with a boyfriend like Edward. But this was different. I had grown to love him so much that a mere brush of the lips paled in comparison to the overwhelming emotions I felt inside of me. I needed to feel him close to me – impossibly close. But Edward was adamant.

I looked down at my lap, only to have my chin immediately lifted back up to meet Edward's startlingly powerful eyes. "Haven't I told you I think about you constantly?" he demanded, his voice low and determined. "That if I could dream, it would be about you? That I find you so utterly tempting that I hardly trust myself to be close to you like this?"

"I know you think you'll hurt me," I said, my words coming out in a rush, "but why can't we take things slow? Mind over manner, remember?"

Edward frowned. "Bella, let's not start this again."

"Why not?" My voice sounded whiny, to my dismay, as my frown matched his. "We both want this-"

"But we can't have it, so it only frustrates both of us to talk about it," he finished firmly, his grip around my waist still tight, possessive.

"We can take things slow," I repeated, emphasizing each word carefully. I reached up and placed my hands on either side of his cool, powder-white face, my pleading eyes dueling silently with his stubborn ones.

Edward's frown softened, but he didn't speak. Another breeze swept across the meadow and gently rustled my hair.

"I refuse to put you in danger," he said quietly.

"You already have several times, without meaning to," I reminded him teasingly, my lips curling into a soft smile. "I survived."

Edward's frown deepened, then disappeared again. "You're not going to let this go." It was more a statement than a question.

"No."

More silence. Edward released his grip on my waist then, placing his newly freed hands on top of mine and massaging them gently. "What did you have in mind?" he asked finally.

"Uh," I murmured, caught off guard. My mind immediately flashed to all the visions I'd had of Edward and I, together, and my face colored at the thought of putting those actions into words. Edward seemed to sense this, and grinned.

"Yes?" he asked, clearly amused.

I sighed, removing my hands from his face and trailing my fingertips lightly down his muscled chest, frustratingly covered by a striped blue polo. "I'd… like to see you without this on, for example," I said, my voice hardly more than a whisper. My face colored even more and my heart pounded as I bit my lower lip, unable to believe that I'd just said that.

Out of the corner of my eye I saw that dazzling, crooked smile. "That seems harmless enough," he said, slowly but pleasantly, leaning forward to give me a quick kiss on the forehead. "What else?"

I groaned, forcing myself to look up and meet his now-sparkling eyes. He was thoroughly enjoying this. "Edward," I whined, "Why are you making this so difficult? I feel like this isn't mutual at all-"

"Hush," he said, still amused, as he placed a cool white finger over my indignant, pouty lips. He sighed. "Bella, you know I desire you constantly."

"Prove it," I said heatedly. "What do you think about, then?"

He hesitated, smiling softly, before leaning close to me so that his lips nearly touched my ear. "Well," he murmured, his voice silky perfection, "I've imagined you lying beneath me, so soft and yielding, your delicate fingers clutching my back as I press myself hard against you, and kiss you with a force that we have… yet to explore," he finished delicately.

My eyes fell shut and my lips parted as I held very still, picturing his image along with him, not ever wanting to let it go. I shuddered involuntarily.

He chuckled and gently nipped my ear. "A little preview?" he inquired.

"Can we go to your house?" I asked quietly, my breath coming in uneven intervals.

He looked at me, startled. "Right now?"

"Yes," I said, locking my eyes with his. "Specifically, to your room."

"Did you want to borrow a CD?" he asked innocently, but I was already disentangling myself from his arms and standing up, steadying myself on trembling legs. He was beside me before I could blink, his arm wrapped securely around my waist.

"We're going to go very slow, Bella," he told me seriously, as we exited the meadow at a human pace. "And if I feel like I'm losing control at any point-"

"We'll stop," I agreed amiably, nodding my head once. I was elated at the progress we were suddenly making, and willing to take what I could get. My heart thudded wildly in my chest, and I began to feel lightheaded as I comprehended the conversation we'd just had. I staggered forward a bit, somehow tangling my feet together.

"You just might be a bigger threat to yourself than I am," he mused as he effortlessly caught and steadied me with one arm.

"Maybe, but if I faint I'm holding you personally responsible," I grumbled, although I couldn't suppress the smile that had spread across my face in giddy anticipation of what was to come.

Edward's deep laughter echoed throughout the field.


	2. Bitten

The car ride back to Edward's house took forever, of course; I find that time passes slowly whenever I'm anticipating something with even the slightest enthusiasm. Edward drove calmly and surely, his eyes on the road as one of his large hands casually held the wheel while the other was entwined with mine. Debussy played softly in the background, doing little to soothe my increasingly excited thoughts as we passed by trees and houses in a blur.

"What are you thinking right now?" Edward asked after several minutes of silence.

I hated that question, mainly because for one reason or another, it was always difficult for me to articulate my thoughts. In this case, I was too anxious to form them properly.

"I'm thinking that I can't wait to be in your room," I said simply, hoping that that would suffice.

Edward nodded once, his smile soft as his cool fingers pressed into mine.

"As long as you promise not to pout when I tell you we need to stop."

"No deal," I said flatly, and he laughed – a rich, musical laugh that made me smile in spite of myself.

We pulled into the Cullens' driveway ten minutes later, and for once I had exited the car more quickly than Edward. I was reaching for the doorknob when his hand suddenly wrapped around my waist from behind and pressed me close to him in a secure embrace.

"Settle down, there, speed racer," he laughed quietly in my ear. Then, his voice deeper, he added, "If you're this anxious, maybe a little bit of prolonged anticipation would do you good."

"Yeah, if you're sadistic," I whined, attempting unsuccessfully to squirm my way out of his hold.

Edward sighed, wrapping his other arm around me so that he was holding me firmly against him now. "Bella, I want you to promise me something before we go inside."

I writhed impatiently against him, waiting for him to go on. "What is it?" I finally asked when he didn't say anything more.

"I want you to promise you'll listen when I tell you that we need to stop."

I twisted my head so that I could see his face. His dark amber eyes met mine in a serious gaze. I sighed. "I promise. But I also want you to promise me that you'll try extra hard to curb one of your appetites so that we can indulge in the other. Okay?"

He smiled at that. "I'll try." And with a quick kiss on the bridge of my nose, he released me and guided us both inside the house.

No sooner had we closed the door than Alice's voice rang pleasantly from the second floor.

"Bella!" she exclaimed, descending the stairs with a level of daintiness and grace that made me feel, as usual, like a complete oaf. "This is perfect timing! I just bought this amazing new eye shadow and think it would look great with your-"

"Bella and I are busy, Alice," Edward informed her casually before I had the chance to respond. "She'll be here later in the evening if you want to talk to her."

"Yeah, I'll definitely be here," I added, fighting off a pang of guilt as I smiled apologetically at Alice. She merely waved and disappeared into the living room as we walked upstairs toward Edward's room, with me taking the steps two at a time just to keep up with his large strides. My heart thudded impatiently as I briefly wondered if Alice suspected anything, but I realized that I was being paranoid; there was nothing unusual about Edward and I spending time alone in his room at the Cullens' house.

Edward held his door open for me and shut it softly behind him. I stayed very close to him, and as he turned to face me I immediately pressed my lips to his, molding my body against him. Now that we were finally alone, I felt my adrenaline kick into overdrive. Suddenly my entire body was pulsing, and I felt bold, alive.

Edward returned the kiss immediately, his lips crushing hungrily against mine. After a moment, he gently pulled away.

"Couch?" he offered, his lips a mere inch from mine.

I crossed the room and sat down with a speed that rivaled Edward's. He immediately sat beside me, chuckling softly.

"Always full of surprises," he murmured, running a steady hand tenderly through my hair.

I grinned at him, leaning in to kiss his smiling lips as my hands gently traced over his chest through his clothes. He felt so firm, so strong. It was undeniably addictive – I loved how safe I felt whenever he held me close to him.

We continued to kiss – light, quick kisses – and as we did so, my hands slowly crept down toward his waist to grasp the hemline of his polo. I slid my fingers underneath, lightly tracing the skin on his torso. My actions did not go unnoticed.

"Do you want this off?" he asked somewhat teasingly as he pinched a piece of his shirt, and I nodded vigorously. Casually, Edward tugged the material over his head and discarded it on the floor next to the couch. He looked at me, shirtless, with that adorable lopsided grin, and I temporarily forgot how to breathe.

At that very moment I was struck yet again with the thought of how incredibly fortunate I was. Edward was everything I could ever want.

Before I could gape any longer, he had grabbed the bottom of my Henley shirt and started pulling the fabric upward. I raised my arms to aid him, and suddenly, I too was half-naked. It was just then that the shyness kicked in; I felt my cheeks color as I wondered if my bra – turquoise with a flower pattern – was attractive, or if my stomach was anywhere near as flat as his. But Edward's eyes raked over me slowly, appreciatively, as his steady, confident hands traced the same path, leaving a trail of goose bumps on my skin.

"You're beautiful," he murmured, his voice unusually deep. I blushed more visibly now, unable to meet his intense gaze. How could he possibly look at me this way when I was so average and he was so… God-like?

Drawing me from my thoughts, he placed his hand on my cheek gently, almost reverently, and brushed his thumb back and forth across my skin.

"Bella," he breathed, his voice scarcely above a whisper. I looked up at him and gave a small smile in response. We passed the next few moments in silence, our eyes locked together, our breathing becoming synchronized. His amber eyes were soft, tender, yet his mouth was set in a thin line that just wouldn't relax.

"Are you scared?" I asked softly but teasingly, attempting to lighten the mood.

"A little," he murmured, causing me to lift my eyebrows in surprise.

"What?"

"I don't want to hurt you," he said, frowning. "You're just so delicate, and-"

Unthinkingly, my hands roughly grasped at the locks of Edward's thick hair and pulled his face to mine, cutting him off mid-sentence. My lips crushed against his with such force that our teeth nearly collided. _Delicate_. I'd show him just how _delicate_ I was.

Gripping his shoulders impatiently, I drew him close to me and leaned back onto his couch, pulling his strong frame on top of me. After only the slightest flash of hesitance, Edward returned the kiss eagerly, pressing me deeply into the cushions. I lost track of how long we stayed like that, kissing until I was sure my lips were bruised. His bare skin felt divine against my own. I wanted _more_.

Breaking the kiss reluctantly, Edward raised himself up on his forearms to look down at me. It was at that moment that I was able to fully appreciate the beauty of his form – his muscled arms, his firm chest, his tight torso were all displayed in full glory in front of me, and my curious fingers quickly reached out to trace the well-defined lines of his upper body.

He observed my wandering hands with a satisfied grin, before closing his eyes and sighing deeply. "The warmth of your hands… that feels so good," he muttered.

I merely nodded, looking up at him eagerly. "Edward, please," I whimpered, digging my fingernails into his solid biceps. "Please." I didn't know what I was begging for, but I instinctively knew that he could give me whatever it was I needed.

"Shhhh, Bella," he whispered as he opened his eyes, pressing his entire body against mine once more. "Just breathe," he said softly, his lips descending on my neck in a series of soft, wet kisses that felt like liquid fire. "Breathe deeply."

I complied immediately, realizing that up until now I'd almost forgotten to perform such a basic function. I inhaled deeply, then exhaled, concentrating on the air as best I could, trying to keep my head from spinning.

I didn't understand it. We hadn't even begun to do any of the things I'd dreamt about on so many nights, secure in the crook of Edward's arm, my face resting comfortably on his firm chest. And yet here I was, already overwhelmed with a persistent burning sensation from somewhere deep inside me, writhing shamelessly beneath Edward's secure embrace.

"There you go," he whispered, his voice deep and encouraging as he noticed the change in my breathing. His lips trailed lightly across my jaw bone, providing a pleasant sensation that made me sigh.

He continued to kiss my face lightly – my cheeks, the bridge of my nose, my forehead, then back to my jaw – until I began to squirm impatiently beneath him.

"Edward," I sighed softly, my voice pleading – for what, I didn't exactly know.

But Edward knew. He stopped and looked down at me, our eyes locking in a silent exchange. One corner of his mouth tipped upward in a subtle grin, and somewhere from deep within him came a low, almost imperceptible growl.

He pressed himself against me roughly then, his lips suddenly meeting mine with a force that was more intense than he'd ever allowed before. I eagerly returned the kiss, crushing my lips against his, feeling as though I'd just received the one medication that could relieve my tortured body.

Though our history of kissing was limited and mostly chaste, my lips parted naturally now, and my tongue darted out curiously, meeting his in a warm and slippery duel. His hands reached up to frame my face as he continued to kiss me deeply, taking control in a way that made me shiver softly beneath his body and his lips. I grasped his waist, lightly raking my nails across his bare back, his shoulder blades, his neck, before greedily clutching locks of his thick, unruly brown hair.

Instinctively, I broke the kiss and bit down lightly on his bottom lip, tugging it gently with my teeth before releasing it, only to soothe it with a swift lick. Edward's eyes met mine as he raised an eyebrow, amused.

"You bit me," he murmured somewhat drowsily, as though he'd just resurfaced from somewhere deep underwater.

"Bite me back," I challenged before had I time to think about what I was saying, my voice clouded with the arousal that I could no longer suppress.

"What?" he asked warily, his tone much sharper than before.

"Bite me," I pleaded softly, tilting my hips instinctively upward to rub soothingly against his. "Anywhere. Everywhere. Just bite me."

His eyes locked with mine once more, interminably, and there seemed to be a silent agreement exchanged between us. We had never done this before, but I knew without question that I could trust him, that I was safe.

Without a word, he reached to clasp my wrists in his hands and raised them securely above my head. He nuzzled the crook of my neck, his cool skin massaging mine, and then suddenly, lightly, he sank his teeth into my skin. Edward raked his teeth lightly down my neck, creating a pleasantly rough sensation that gave me goose bumps. He bit down even deeper for the briefest of moments, causing me to gasp, before soothing the spot with a wet, open kiss.

"Yes," I moaned quietly, arching my back and feeling my chest press deliciously against chest. "More, please."

"Bella likes to be bitten," he mused quietly, as though he were speaking only to himself. "How wonderfully ironic."

I pouted up at him, which immediately provoked a crooked smile.

"Yes, Bella?"

"You're not done," I murmured, my mouth curving into a sly smile.

"Where else would you like me to bite you?" he asked quietly, arching a mischievous eyebrow as my smile shifted into a wicked grin.

"Edward." The voice rang sharply through the room like a staccato note. Edward's weight was lifted off of me in a heartbeat, and he sat upright on the couch, shielding my partially clothed form, before I even had time to process the disapproving tone.

Disoriented, I whipped my head in the direction of the voice and saw Carlisle standing at the entrance to Edward's room, eyeing us both with his arms crossed and lips pressed together to form a thin line. Alice stood beside him, her face characteristically alert yet calm.


	3. Tension

I could feel my cheeks burning as I scrambled to find my shirt. Before I even had the chance to start looking, Edward had handed it to me, using his chest to shield me from Carlisle and Alice as he quickly put on his own clothing.

My hands trembled as I straightened my sleeves. On the plus side, I was so embarrassed that I couldn't dwell for long on the disappointment of so abruptly leaving Edward's close, comforting embrace.

For a brief moment, my eyes met Edward's. He looked at me tenderly, apologetically. "It'll be okay," he mouthed, a reassuring smile playing on his beautiful lips. I smiled in return, already feeling slightly less mortified.

"I'm sorry," came Carlisle's voice from somewhere behind Edward's chest, and he sounded embarrassed himself. Tentatively, I poked my head around Edward's hard, cool shoulder, and Carlisle's face softened as he took in my bewildered expression. "I didn't mean to interrupt," he said quietly, his voice kinder this time, almost sheepish. He sighed. "But," he continued, frowning slightly, "we have a visitor, and Alice thought it would be better if you… both came down to meet him… _now_," he finished carefully, glancing sideways at Alice. She nodded once, a small smile gracing her perfect lips.

Relief washed over me as I listened to their benign excuse for interrupting. My mind had tried to put the pieces together too quickly – for a moment it seemed that Alice had had a vision of me and Edward that would have prompted Carlisle to interrupt.

But Edward clearly didn't share my sentiment. "A visitor?" he muttered, his eyes narrowing.

I looked at him curiously as I realized what he was implying. The Cullens would never bring a human to their house on a whim, and certainly never without informing the entire family first, which only left one option.

Carlisle simply nodded, his face relaxed and pleasant. "A member of Tanya's coven," he said, referencing the Cullens' fellow-vegetarian friend from Alaska. "He stopped by on the way south to visit his sister. He's trying to lay low for a while with all this sunny weather."

Edward hesitated. "Why do we have to meet him now?"

"You would have gone to meet him later in the evening otherwise, and Bella would have fallen down the stairs," Alice answered matter-of-factly, prompting Edward to raise an eyebrow in amusement. "You might as well do it now… safely," she added, rolling her eyes.

"We'll be right down," Edward answered dryly.

Carlisle grinned mischievously at us, and if I hadn't known better I would have thought he and Edward were directly related. "We'll be setting up his room," he murmured, and suddenly Edward's door was closed, leaving the two of us alone once again.

"Argh!" I exhaled, slumping fully against Edward's chest. He wrapped a comforting arm around me and laughed.

"You're beautiful. And wonderful," he said simply, hugging me close to his chest and planting a kiss on the top of my head. "You handled that very well."

"You couldn't have read his mind in time to warn me? You know, _before_ he came into your room?" I muttered, grimacing slightly at the fact that Carlisle had just seen me in my _bra_. I didn't know how I was going to make eye contact with him ever again.

"I was distracted," Edward said simply, raising one shoulder in a casual shrug.

I groaned and covered my eyes with my hands. "That was quite possibly the most mortifying thing I've ever experienced."

Edward chuckled. "Oh, come on," he murmured, leaning toward me so his lips pressed against my hear. "You should be flattered – you temporarily disarmed me of one of my superior immortal abilities." He flashed me that infamous crooked grin, and I softened slightly in spite of myself.

"How is this not at all a big deal for you?" I muttered, resting my head on his shoulder and sighing heavily.

"Because it's my family," he answered softly, reaching up to capture a lock of my hair and twirl it around a finger. "I told you before that this is the one place I never have to hide."

I closed my eyes as I rested against Edward's shoulder. The flame that had burned so brightly within me at the moment when he lay on top of me with my wrists trapped above my head was all but extinguished now.

"I guess we have to go meet this guest, huh?" I murmured, suddenly wanting nothing more than to curl into a ball against Edward's chest and fall asleep.

"Let's get it over with," he agreed, planting a quick kiss on my forehead before helping me off of his sofa. I left reluctantly.

As we descended the stairs, a conversation became audible – the tones of Esme's sweet, pleasant voice intermingled with the unfamiliar sounds of a deep, smooth one. They seemed to be in the middle of the type of polite conversation that takes place between acquaintances. I heard Esme's musical laughter and muffled voice.

Curiously, I glanced over Edward's broad shoulder, catching a glimpse of Esme speaking in the foyer with a tall, pale man with thick, sandy blonde hair. His skin was as pale as Edward's, and his face was similarly angular, but he was nowhere near as beautiful. He laughed a deep, booming laugh in response to something Esme said, before nodding in agreement.

"On sunny days like these, I tend to risk giving myself away," he murmured sheepishly, running a few fingers casually along his powder-white forearm.

"We'd be glad to have you stay with us in the mean time," Esme said pleasantly, her hands clasped gently in front of her and a warm smile spread across her face.

"I can't tell you how much I appreciate this," he said graciously. The stranger smiled at Esme, but as he heard us approaching he turned, fixating his eyes first on Edward's form descending the stairs, and then mine.

For a moment I locked eyes with the blonde-haired man, and his smile widened, causing twin dimples to appear on both his cheeks. Edward stopped so abruptly on the stairs that I bumped into his hard body and nearly sent myself sprawling backward. As I used his shoulders to steady myself, I immediately knew something was wrong. He was tense, almost as though he was ready to fight.

We must have looked odd, standing in the middle of staircase like that that, with Edward alert and me confused. Emse laughed quickly, nervously.

"Edward, Bella?" she addressed us after a moment, her voice clear and loud. "Why don't you come on down and meet our guest?"

Edward didn't move an inch. My palms pressed against his shoulder blades gently, rubbing back and forth in an ill-fated attempted to sooth some of his unexplained tension.

The stranger stared up at us, curious and amused. Esme, as confused as I was, cleared her throat after several awkward seconds ticked by. "He came here all the way from Alaska, on his way to visit-"

"Carlisle told us," Edward said, his voice flat and guarded, as he reached back to grasp my hand firmly in his. He began descending the steps once more, very slowly this time. When he finally reached the bottom, his grip on my hand was just loose enough to keep the bones from crushing.

I stood next to him at the foot of the stairs, and together we stared at the friendly-looking stranger in the Cullens' foyer. He smiled warmly at us, apparently unfazed by Edward's hostile behavior.

Esme's eye's flickered quickly from Edward to the stranger before she spoke again, this time more cautiously. "Edward, Bella, this is Landon," she said softly.

"Esme," came a soft, masculine voice somewhere from the second floor. Carlisle's voice. Esme looked up then, smiling apologetically at Landon before darting up the stairs in a silent flash, leaving the three of us standing alone together.

The stranger spoke before the moment could get any more awkward. "Hi there. You must be Carlisle's son," he said, his voice relaxed and smooth as he extended his hand to Edward. As their eyes met, Edward's face tensed noticeably, and I realized that something was very wrong. They shook briefly, though forcefully – the knuckles on both their long, slender hands became even whiter than usual as their hands clenched together tightly. Edward's his eyes were dark and guarded as he surveyed Landon carefully.

"Hello," he muttered, suddenly abandoning my hand to wrap his entire left arm around my waist, effectively drawing me nearer to him. I looked up at him, startled, and then back at Landon, who was now watching me with curious eyes.

"A human," he murmured pleasantly. It was a statement, not a question. My heart pounded impatiently in my chest at his assumption – had he picked up my scent so easily? He extended his hand toward me. "Hello, I'm Landon."

I felt Edward's grip tighten on my waist until his arm was pressed uncomfortably against my back. Somewhat awkwardly, I reached out to take Landon's hand in mine. His skin was dry and cool.

"I'm Bella," I murmured, still confused by Edward's hostile behavior.

"Pleased to meet you, Bella," he said with a wide smile that was every bit as flawless as Edward's, but somehow didn't make my heart flutter in the same way. His eyes flickered quickly from me to Edward. "I do love humans very much," he said quietly, his voice buttery and warm as he leaned toward me, I realized, with the intention of kissing my cheek.

Edward stepped forward then, squaring his shoulders and planting one foot firmly in front of me in a protective stance.

"Don't touch her," he said coldly, his voice dark and low.

"Edward!" I hissed incredulously, glaring up at the back of his head. "What is _wrong_ with you?" Deep down inside, I felt a pleasant rush of satisfaction at his protectiveness, but how on earth could he be this angry about a stranger wanting to kiss me on the cheek?

"Ah," Landon murmured, casually stepping back and folding his hands together, as though Edward had just told him where to find the first floor bathroom. His eyes surveyed me with interest, but Edward quickly shifted so that he was blocking me fully. "Is she your mate?" came his smooth voice from the other side of Edward's statuesque frame.

"Yes," he said darkly, and though I couldn't see his face, I knew it was contorted into a glare.

"Well then, please accept my apology for my rude behavior," he said softly, apparently addressing both of us. He smiled then, his eyes meeting mine over Edward's shoulder. "I do have a weakness for beautiful women. I hope I didn't offend you."

"Uh, n-not at all," I stammered slightly, averting my eyes to the floor as I tucked a lock of hair behind my ear. What was going on? On what planet was I considered beautiful, let alone by a strange vampire who looked more striking than I ever would? Edward remained firmly planted in front of me, and I could have sworn I heard him growl.

Before I had time to recall my peer mediation skills from middle school, a voice rang once more from the top of the stairs. Esme this time. "Landon, why don't you come up and see where you'll be staying?" I nearly let out a sigh of relief at her unintentionally perfect timing.

"Thank you kindly, Mrs. Cullen," Landon answered as he gazed toward the second floor, his voice clear and smooth. He turned back to us briefly, a smile once again set on his pale face. "Edward, Bella, it was a pleasure to meet you both," he said, glancing at me behind Edward as he said my name. "Hopefully we'll get the chance to talk some more in the next few days. I'd love to hear about life in Washington." His voice was so pleasant it could have come straight off of an infomercial.

Edward, however, was not affected. His body remained tense in front of me, and neither of us spoke as Landon nodded at us before picking up a travel bag at the foot of the stairs and dashing to the second floor in one swift, graceful movement.

Not a second later, Edward had spun around and taken me in his arms, pressing me firmly against his chest and wrapping his arms tightly around my waist. I reveled momentarily in the heady feeling of security before allowing my confusion to possess me once again.

"What was that about?" I demanded quietly, tilting my chin nearly straight up in order to look Edward in the eyes. "You looked ready to _fight_ him."

Edward looked down at me, his amber eyes clouded with a strange mixture of anger and concern. He pressed me tighter to his chest, and I was bewildered to find that his arms were shaking. Several seconds of silence passed, and my worry escalated when he didn't answer.

"Edward, what is it?" I pressed, my voice rising in pitch now. "What just happened-"

"He… is… not… staying here," Edward said, each word laced with a level of fury that I hadn't seen from him since our incident last year with James. James…

"Am I in danger?" I asked suddenly, feeling the blood drain from my face as I reached to tightly clutch his arms. "How could he possibly be dangerous if Carlisle allowed him to stay here-"

"Carlisle made a mistake," he said icily, his voice trembling. "I'll explain it later. Soon. First, I have to talk to my father."

"What should I do?" I asked quietly, attempting unsuccessfully to control the shivers that had instinctively started to course through my body. "Should I go?" I said uncertainly.

Edward looked down at me incredulously. "Absolutely _not_," he said in such a fierce tone of finality that I stayed silent as I felt his lips press against the top of my head. "You're staying here, and I'm not letting you out of my sight until he's gone."

_But Landon had seemed nice enough_, I thought to myself. What the hell had caused all of this alarm?

Edward relaxed his iron grip around my waist, rubbing his hands gently along my back in silent apology as I realized I could breathe fully now. "I'm not letting you out of my sight," he repeated, his lips softly murmuring the words into my hair.


	4. Thoughts

"I saw his thoughts," Edward muttered in disgust, his fist coming down hard against the granite countertop in the Cullens' spacious kitchen. His face contorted into a glare that made me immediately uncomfortable.

I was standing next to him, along with Carlisle, Esme and Alice, who had hastily gathered in the least-used room in the house at Edward's urgent and furious request. Looking around at the rest of the Cullens, it was clear that we were all equally confused.

"What was he thinking?" I asked carefully. I could feel my heart fluttering in my chest, wondering if Landon had some sort of ulterior motive. He had seemed perfectly polite, but of course, that could have all been an act. Was he really some friend of James, here to avenge his death? And how could the rest of the Cullens trust him so willingly if there was even a remote possibility that he could be dangerous?

"Edward," Carlisle said calmly, stepping forward to face his son. "Does this have to do with Landon sensing that Bella is human?"

"Not in the way you'd think," he muttered, his beautiful face twisting into a look of revulsion. He began pacing the kitchen and wringing his hands together impatiently – something that I noticed was very uncharacteristic of Edward, who was usually so still and calm under stress.

"Well, what is it?" Carlisle prodded gently, unfazed by Edward's growing anger.

"He doesn't want her blood," he muttered, his voice shaking subtly. I looked at him, confused, but Carlisle seemed to understand immediately.

"Edward," Carlisle spoke slowly and carefully, "Those types of thoughts aren't exactly cause for alarm."

"But why would _he_ be thinking about Bella in that way?" Edward demanded furiously, spinning around to face Carlisle as his hands balled into tight fists. "He . . . he saw himself _kissing_ her, and he was _touching_ her, and . . . _ugh_!" Edward let out a noise of repulsion as he slammed his fist once more against the granite counter, causing the entire thing to shake.

I stared blankly at Edward, my mind working in what seemed like slow motion to process what he'd just said. Landon was . . . fantasizing about me in the moment that he met me? I could feel the color rising to my cheeks, and I suddenly wanted nothing more than to do an about face and sprint the entire way home.

Carlisle threw me a small, apologetic smile before looking back at Edward. Somewhere in the brief moment that our eyes met, he seemed to be communicating that this conversation would require some tolerance on my part. I couldn't have agreed more.

Carlisle's eyes were patient and kind as he looked at his son. "Landon's been one of us for centuries – since the mid-eighteen hundreds, if I remember correctly," he answered, his calm face not wavering once. Edward only glared and started to pace again, but Carlisle reached out and put his hand on Edward's shoulder, squeezing it tightly.

"He's had his thirst under control for a very long time," he continued, his eyes locked evenly with Edward's now.

"And you're telling me it's been replaced by _lust_?" Edward nearly growled out the last word, shrugging off Carlisle's hand and taking a step backward. I glanced at him worriedly – I hadn't seen him get this worked up with Carlisle before.

"From what Tanya has told me, from the time he was changed, Landon has always tried to remain as human as possible," Carlisle explained calmly. "And part of that is retaining human emotions toward other humans, whether that be love, anger, or lust. At this point, I imagine Landon's mind works like any other man's. If he sees a woman he finds attractive, his thoughts will act accordingly."

By now, I was sorely tempted to cover my ears and huddle somewhere in a corner. I felt my face turning red – Carlisle's clinical, straightforward explanation of such an awkward topic was too much for me to handle.

Leaning forward hastily, I let my hair fall to form two protective curtains on either side of my face and hoped in vain that no one would notice my embarrassment. I knew that Carlisle and Edward were talking in "human" voices for my sake, but at this point I wished they would converse in the tones that were too fast for me to hear.

Carlisle, of course, didn't seem the least bit affected by the uncomfortable subject. He leaned casually against the granite kitchen counter, one leg crossed in front of the other. The room was silent now, save for the soft humming of the fluorescent lights above us. Edward stood with his arms folded and a scowl set upon his powder-white face.

"It's not normal," he muttered finally, his velvet voice still laced with irritation.

"It's not normal," Carlisle agreed, nodding once, "but it's possible."

More silence ensued. I glanced at Esme and Alice across the kitchen, who usually served as voices of reason but had remained quiet up until now. Both of them were staring intently at different objects on the countertop, and like me, probably realized that this was a conversation that should have happened privately between Edward and Carlisle. I sighed softly. At least I wasn't the only uncomfortable one.

Edward resumed his pacing, his arms crossed firmly in front of his chest. "I want him out of here," he said quietly, though the intensity behind his voice was unmistakable. He turned to face us all, but looked at Carlisle in particular. "_Tonight_." He emphasized the word with a glare.

Carlisle sighed. "You're not being very reasonable, Edward," he said, keeping his voice light and even. "I spoke with Tanya on the phone shortly after Landon arrived, and she was thrilled to hear that he was staying with us. She knows him well and trusts him thoroughly, so I see no reason why we shouldn't. Unless . . . Bella?" he asked, turning to face me. The sudden mention of my name caused me to jump.

"Yes?" I said hastily, conscious of four sets of amber eyes now focused on my face.

"Do you feel uncomfortable with Landon being here?"

_Oh, great, drag me into it_. I swallowed once and stole a quick glance at Edward. His eyes were unreadable, though he was looking at me intently. Knowing that Landon was fantasizing about me was slightly unsettling, and I wanted more than anything to agree with Edward and end this argument. But I knew I couldn't – I couldn't keep inconveniencing the Cullens' lives just because I was human.

"I don't have a problem with him," I said, trying to sound as nonchalant as possible. "He seemed really nice when I met him. Don't let me interrupt your plans," I added earnestly, hoping that would be acceptable to Carlisle.

He smiled reassuringly and nodded. "If you're sure you feel comfortable."

"I am," I said earnestly, purposely avoiding Edward's eyes.

"Could any of Landon's thoughts be construed as dangerous to Bella or anyone else here?" Carlisle asked, turning to look at Edward.

"_Yes_."

"Thoughts we _haven't_ yet been made aware of?" Carlisle clarified softly.

Edward paused, a scowl set deeply in his well-defined features, before shaking his head. "No, nothing else."

"Alice?" Carlisle said, whirling around to face the side of the kitchen counter where the other two members of the Cullen family stood. "Have you seen anything in Landon's future that would imply immediate danger for any one of us?"

Alice frowned, her fingertips slowly tracing the smooth edge of the granite countertop. Her eyebrows slanted downward, and she seemed to be concentrating on something. "N-no," she muttered finally, though her voice was unusually distant. "I don't see anything."

Carlisle also noticed her soft response. "You're sure?" he pressed gently.

Alice nodded her head firmly now, looking up at Carlisle and then at each one of us. "Nothing dangerous," she confirmed.

Carlisle sighed, turning to look hopefully at Edward. "Does that help, son?" he asked. I had to appreciate Carlisle at that moment – not once in the time I've known the Cullens had I ever seen him lose his temper with his family, and this was no exception.

I chanced a look at Edward, who by now may have set a record for the world's longest scowl. He didn't seem convinced.

"I can see this is getting nowhere," he muttered flatly.

"Landon will only be here for a few days," Carlisle said reassuringly, reaching out to give Edward a quick slap on the back. "We'll all be looking out for each other, and especially Bella, in the mean time. I'll let Rosalie, Emmett and Jasper know, too."

I could feel my face coloring. So much for not inconveniencing the Cullens' lives.

***

"Unbelievable," Edward muttered distractedly, hardly noticing I was behind him as he crossed the threshold into his room and, in two quick strides, stood in front of his large black couch. He bent down then, his hands feeling impatiently along the bottom.

I quietly closed the door behind me and stared at him with a hand on my hip. "What are you-"

Before I could finish, I realized with a wave of delight what he was trying to do. As he pulled on a bar underneath the couch with an effortless tug, a mattress unfolded in one swift movement, suddenly taking up twice the amount of space in Edward's room.

"Your couch folds out?" I asked in surprise, walking toward what was now Edward's bed. My breathing had increased involuntarily as I realized what this meant.

"Of course," Edward grinned halfheartedly at me and he patted the edge of the mattress. "You don't think I'd have you sleep over here on a cramped couch with me, do you?"

"W-why didn't you unfold this thing before?" I asked, slightly annoyed to think back at all of the times Edward and I had kissed and lay in awkward angles on that couch.

He sat down on the edge of the unfolded mattress and raised an eyebrow. "Like you needed another reason to misbehave."

"Ugh!" I sighed in frustration, turning on my heel and striding out of the room to get ready for bed. Edward was unbelievable.

"Alice bought some extra toiletries for you, in the first drawer on the right," he called after me innocently.

I returned to Edward's room ten minutes later to find the lights off. With a soft sigh, I felt my way over to the mattress – still a strange concept for me to grasp, in his room – and lowered myself down once I'd found it. No sooner had my head hit the pillow than a strong arm pulled me close to an even stronger chest.

"Forgive me?" he asked softly, his voice smooth as velvet in my ear.

"For what?" My eyes hadn't yet adjusted to the darkness, so I couldn't read the expression on Edward's face.

"For both the scene in the kitchen and for not telling you about the mattress."

I rolled my eyes, reaching up to tangle my fingers in his unruly hair. "The mattress is no big deal," I muttered, and meant it. "The kitchen, however . . . what was that about?"

Edward sighed, and a few seconds passed in silence. "I just . . . care about your safety," he said softly. "If I overreacted, I'm sorry."

I played with Edward's hair, thinking back to the scene with Carlisle in the kitchen. Why, oh why, was Landon causing such a commotion? I trailed my fingers absentmindedly down Edward's neck and across his collar bone, before resting them against his hard, cool chest – a chest which wasn't covered with the usual casual designer shirt.

"You're shirtless?" I asked suddenly, my thoughts put on hold by the pleasant discovery.

Edward's white teeth flashed at me in the dark. "I am."

"I forgive you," I said happily, now using both hands to lightly caress his muscled chest.

Edward chuckled, grasping my hands in his and, before I could protest, spinning me around on the bed so that he was spooning against me, rendering me unable to take advantage of his half-naked state. I decided not to ruin our newest truce by pouting, so we lay in silence until I wondered if Edward thought I was asleep.

"You know how I always tell you to quit being so overprotective?" I murmured, snuggling further into his chest.

He sighed, his cool breath rustling the hair on the back of my neck and tickling the skin. "Yes," he exhaled the word hesitantly.

"Well," I said, reaching around to grasp his nearest arm and draw it securely around my waist, "I don't mind that so much, as long as you limit it to when we're in bed together. It makes me feel safe, so in this situation, I'll allow it."

I could almost feel Edward roll his eyes behind me. "I'm having a hard time thinking of something you _wouldn't_ allow while we're in bed together," he murmured, using the arm I had snagged to hug me closer to him.

"Hey!" I exclaimed, turning to face him with an exaggerated pout.

With the aid of the moonlight streaming in through Edward's windows, I saw him raise an eyebrow at me in the dark. "Yes?"

I opened and closed my mouth several times, trying to think of the perfect retort, but I already knew that he was right. There _wasn't_ anything I wouldn't let him do to me – if only he would let _himself_ do it.

"I just wish I had a boyfriend who was equally adventurous," I muttered, lacing my voice with inflated sadness as I returned my head to his pillow.

He laughed a deep, pleasant laugh before nuzzling his face against the back of my neck. He seemed to be easing into a better mood, to my immense relief.

"You should be thankful to have a boyfriend who cares about keeping you alive." He kissed the top of my head. "That's the reason I exercise so much restraint."

"What happened to the boyfriend from earlier today who was willing to compromise a little bit on that?" I asked him hopefully, shifting beneath his arm until I faced him on the bed, our noses nearly touching.

Edward sighed, reaching out to comb his fingers through a lock of my hair. "External circumstances have temporarily dampened his mood," he muttered.

I cringed – Landon was the last person I wanted to talk or think about right now. I quickly wracked my brain for a way to distract Edward, and then it hit me – why not employ the same strategy he always did whenever I was overtly jealous of one of his female admirers?

"Listen," I said, my voice serious and steady and I reached to frame his cool, angular cheek with my hand. He seemed intrigued by my seriousness, and his amber eyes met mine intently. I licked my lips before I went on, making sure to arrange the words as effectively as possible.

"Don't worry about _him_," I murmured, trying to adopt the same velvet tone that Edward always used so seamlessly with me. "You're the only person that matters to me, now and forever. And regardless of who thinks what about me…," I let my fingertips trail from Edward's perfect cheek to his well-defined jaw, then down to his collar bone before resting gently on his bare chest. "All I'm ever going to be thinking about is you."

Before he had a chance to respond, I tilted my head forward, touching my lips to his in a soft, almost teasing kiss that I hoped he would attempt to prolong. As I was just about to pull away, I felt his hand move to grasp my chin, gently holding me in place as he pressed his lips harder to mine. I was hardly able to restrain the delighted, triumphant smile that threatened to appear on my face.

It was absolutely ridiculous that Edward needed reassurance of any kind – one quick glance from him to me made it painfully obvious that I came out on the more shallow end of the gene pool – but I would have to remember this information in the unlikely event that more Landons appeared in the future.

Edward was kissing me more forcefully now, with one hand tangled in my hair and the other firmly holding my lower back and pressing me against his bare chest. I shivered, though it had nothing to do with his cool skin.

"Bella," he murmured, separating his lips from mine and cupping my face in both hands, his cool, minty breath coming out quicker than normal against my skin.

"Yes?" I asked breathlessly, my heart racing wildly as I suddenly wondered if this could be it.

"You should call Charlie," he murmured, gently rubbing his thumb across my cheek. "Before either one of us forgets."

"What?" I snapped, swatting his hands away from my face with a frown and feeling as though I'd been abruptly woken up from a pleasant dream. Edward looked at me, perplexed, and I stared back at him, incredulous. "You kiss me like _that_ and then suddenly switch to asking about my _dad_?" I hissed, conscious of keeping my voice down. "That's… that's…," I waved my hand abstractly in the air as I searched for the most fitting word, "_blasphemous_!"

Edward grinned and darted out to give me a quick peck on the tip of my nose before I could swat him away again. To my disappointment, he got up from the bed.

"You know as well as I do that Charlie can't know you're staying here," Edward said as he strode across the room to retrieve his cell phone from an end table, flicking on the lights in the process. He looked back at me and grinned. "My family may be immune to gunshot wounds, but I wouldn't want you to catch a stray bullet."

I hurled my pillow at him even though I knew it was futile – he caught it distractedly with one hand as he flipped open his phone and dialed the number to the police station with the other. His smile widened as he tossed the phone to me.

It was ringing by the time I caught it, and I barely had time to press it against my ear before Charlie answered.

"Chief Swan," came Charlie's most authoritative "policeman" voice. If he was manning the phones tonight, it must have been slow over at the station.

"Hi dad, it's Bella." As I reclined backward to talk to Charlie, I hadn't noticed Edward return to the bed, slowly, and adjust himself so that his face was even with my stomach. With a wicked grin that I didn't often see from him, he looked up at me and gently raised my shirt until it was bunched up just below my bra. I raised an eyebrow at him, but my heart started racing immediately.

"Bells?" Charlie said, surprised. I waited patiently for the confusion and worry to come flooding in, and I was not disappointed. "Is everything okay? Did something happen?" he asked quickly, his voice sounding deep and alarmed.

I rolled my eyes. "No, dad, everything's fine. Can't I call you at work without there being a life-threatening emergency?" I felt Edward smile against my skin as he pressed his cool lips against my stomach. I exhaled a shaky breath.

"Of course you can," Charlie said gruffly, his voice more relaxed. "You just hardly ever call the station is all."

I licked my lips as I tried to conjure up a convincing lie. "I was wondering, would you mind if I stayed over at Jessica's house tonight?" I asked, trying to keep my voice light and casual. Edward's tongue darted out and flicked against my belly button, and it took every ounce of self-control I had not to groan out loud.

"That Stanley girl?" Charlie sounded suspicious. "I thought you were on the outs with her."

"No, dad, everything's great."

"Since when do you like sleepovers?" he pressed, his voice skeptical.

I clenched my jaw impatiently. I should have known that this would be difficult. "I know it must be shocking to hear that I want to do something normal, dad, but you're going to have to trust me on this one." Edward was chuckling now, his chest bouncing gently against me. I looked at him with wide eyes and pressed a quick finger against my lips, praying that Charlie's hearing wasn't that sharp. Edward only smiled and shook his head.

Charlie sighed over the phone. "All right, Bells, go ahead." He seemed to have softened, and I smiled in victory. "I'm glad to hear that you're spending time with your friends. Maybe you can have the girls over at the house one of these days."

"Sure, sure," I said, distracted as Edward's lips once again descended on my uncovered stomach. I reached out and ran my fingers lightly through his hair, the tips massaging his scalp. I could have sworn I heard him purr.

"I guess I'll see you tomorrow morning, then. What time will you be back?" Charlie sounded distracted now, too. I heard a few voices in the background at the station, probably beckoning Charlie to join in on a poker round.

"I'll, uh, have to get back to you," I muttered, thinking back to Edward's insistence that I stay with him until the situation with Landon was resolved. "Jess's mom wants to take us out for brunch, so probably sometime in the afternoon." I suddenly wondered when the art of lying had become so natural to me. It was probably after I'd met Edward.

"Sounds good," Charlie said.

I snapped the phone shut, and not a moment later, Edward had moved upward on the bed and covered my lips with his, pressing me down into the mattress. The phone fell from my hand and clattered to the floor. My surprised gasp went unheard as he kissed me hard, his hands sliding down my legs until they grasped my calves, pulling them up and hooking them around his waist. He broke the kiss then, holding himself up on his forearms so that I felt almost none of his weight on top of me.

He stared down at me, that crooked grin I love so much lighting his face with an air of mischief that made my heart beat impatiently. I stared back at him, wide eyed and not attempting to hide the fact that I was gaping.

"So, I thought for a minute about what you said," he murmured, his voice smooth as velvet, as he bent down to place an open-mouthed kiss on my neck, "about being more adventurous."

I raised my eyebrows, my breath still escaping me in gasps as I looked up at him – so powerful yet so relaxed. How someone as perfect as Edward could want me so badly was beyond my level of comprehension. "Oh?" was my brilliant response of the evening.

"Mhm," he answered silkily, lowering himself to rest on his elbows so that his lips were only inches from mine. "I've reconsidered."


	5. Something New

Author's Note: Thank you so much for the reviews so far. They are an amazing help - and not to mention an amazing inspiration to keep writing - and I appreciate them more than you can imagine. :)

***

This wasn't really happening. This _couldn't_ be happening, because this level of fortune just didn't exist – at least not for me, the person with the worst luck in the history of time. And yet, I was conscious enough of Edward's cool, minty breath on my lips and his steely chest against mine to be sure that this wasn't a dream.

He was staring at me intently, his eyes so close that I could see the miniscule flecks of gray scattered throughout the beautiful, deep amber. After a moment of concentrating on how to breathe, I realized that he was gauging my reaction, waiting for a response.

"Wh-what brought on the sudden change of heart?" I meant to sound casual, but my voice came out as a whisper.

"Well . . .," Edward shifted slightly above me, and my legs, still wrapped around his waist, clung to him desperately. "While you were on the phone, I was thinking about us some more . . . about how far we allow ourselves to go with this."

"How far _you_ allow us to go," I corrected him.

He grinned. "Right. So, I've decided – if you want to be a bit more adventurous, I'm more than willing to summon all of my self-discipline to take this further and make us both happy. It seemed to work out wonderfully this afternoon. Besides," he added leaning down to brush his nose against mine, "I know there are plenty of potential boyfriends who would jump at the chance to do what you're asking of me, and I can only push my luck so far by stalling like I've been doing."

I blinked, completely taken aback by that last comment. Edward had never said anything like that before, not even in response to blatant advances from Mike or Tyler or Eric. But . . . did it make a difference if the advances were coming from one of his own? From _Landon_? A wave of irritation washed over me as I thought about it. If Edward was at all shaken by the creepy, disgusting thoughts of some vampire who we spoke to for less than five minutes, he needed to be set straight immediately. The thought of Landon being a source of competition was _absurd_. Regardless, I felt completely responsible for teasing Edward about intimacy in the first place.

I opened my mouth to protest, but he pressed a finger over my lips before I could speak. "I want to make you happy, Bella. That's all."

"I _am_ happy," I assured him, rubbing my foot against his denim-clad leg. I didn't know how to put it more plainly. "It's just that I'd love to be able to _show_ you just how happy I am with you. But if you feel more comfortable with taking things slow, I'm okay with that – I _really_ am."

He smiled down at me. "I know."

But I didn't quite believe him. "Edward-"

"I'll tell you what," he murmured, his voice once again as smooth and soft as velvet, "Why don't you let me try something new tonight? I think you'll like it."

_Something new_. That sounded promising, or at least my rapidly thudding heart seemed to think so. I attempted without much success to steady my breathing – though I felt none of Edward's weight as he held himself above me, I was fully conscious of the fact that he _was_ on top of me, and that my legs were still wrapped firmly around his waist.

I smiled up at him, so serious and handsome. If this was what it would take to assure him that I would never need anyone else, I thought, then I would gladly go through with whatever he wanted.

"Yes." I nodded my head encouragingly. "Anything."

His smile became impossibly wide, and he leaned down to kiss me – hard. I returned the kiss breathlessly, and for the next several minutes the soft slippery wetness of his tongue against mine became the sole focus of my universe. He pulled back slightly, kissing my jaw and then biting down gently on my ear lobe, coaxing out a subtle shiver that I didn't realize my body was capable of.

He positioned himself so that his lips were nearly touching my left ear. "Do you trust me?"

"Of course," I said automatically, though once again I was caught off-guard. My curiosity was piqued – what did Edward have in mind? Was he intending to . . . my stomach tingled at the thought . . . _go all the way_?

"I'll be right back, then." He quickly kissed my forehead before lifting himself off of me. I let out a noise of protest and instinctively tightened my legs around his waist, which provoked a breathtaking grin and a genuine laugh. I couldn't help but smile in return.

"I'll be back in a flash, Bella," he promised, gently untangling my legs from around his torso. With one more grin in response to my newly formed pout, he disappeared from the room, the door shutting behind him with a quiet thud.

I was alone with my muddled thoughts for a total of five seconds before Edward returned, a soft smile playing upon his pale lips as he held one hand firmly behind his back. I narrowed my eyes at him as he approached the bed – what was he holding?

"Edward . . .," my voice trailed off as he sat down on the edge of the couch-bed, his right hand still concealed from my view. I looked at him curiously, and at that moment he didn't need to read my thoughts to know what I was wondering.

"Bella," he murmured, reaching out to run a fingertip across my bare arm. "You do trust me, right?"

"_Yes_." I failed miserably at curbing the impatience in my voice.

Edward chuckled softly. "Then I want you to tell me what you think . . . about this." He brought his right hand into plain view and held it palm-up. I looked closer, confused. In his hand were what appeared to be several long black strips of cloth . . . silky cloth, from the way the soft light from Edward's room reflected across the material.

"Pieces of fabric?" I murmured, confused. I stared at his hands for a moment before looking down at mine, and suddenly, it clicked. My eyes widened as I realized what he intended to do.

"You . . . want to tie me up?"

"Tie you up _and_ blindfold you." He was watching me carefully. "How do you feel about that?"

I was temporarily speechless. Never in a million years would I have predicted this from Edward – my traditional, old-fashioned Edward!

I smiled at him, ignoring the fact that my cheeks were beginning to ache from the repeated motion. "Well, for one, I would like to know who the hell you are, and what you've done with Edward."

His deep, easy laugh provoked mine. "I'm still Edward," he assured me, "but you've really inspired me to use my creativity."

"Yes," I murmured, leaning forward to kiss him softly. "Yes, yes, yes." I separated each word with more light pecks.

"Excellent." Edward reached up to frame my face with his hands, staring at me for a moment before saying, quietly, "Take off your bottoms and lie face-up on the bed."

I stared at him for several seconds while the words registered, and once they did, the predictable blush rose up and colored my cheeks.

Edward laughed. "I don't think I'll ever get tired of that."

"Easy for you to say," I grumbled, leaning back on the bed and lifting my hips into the air, sliding my cotton pajama pants off in one swift motion. The act of undressing in front of Edward was becoming more familiar now, and I was loving it.

Trying to ignore his sweeping, appreciative glance – I hadn't yet gotten used to _that_ – I lay flat on the bed, clad only in a blue tank top and white cotton underwear, feeling my heart race as I started to fully comprehend what was about to happen.

Edward rose from the bed, the shiny black strips of cloth in one hand, and bent down so that he was at eye-level with my legs. Working calmly and methodically, he tied my ankles together – tightly enough so that I couldn't separate them, but loose enough that my circulation remained. He then moved to my wrists, which he placed gently above my head once they were bound.

"This would have been easier with a four-poster bed," he mused, grinning down at me in my defenseless state. "I might have to do some redecorating around here."

I arched an eyebrow. "Alice will be very confused when she suddenly has a vision of you picking out furniture."

Edward took the final black strip and let it drag against my stomach as he moved it upward toward my face. "How do you feel?"

"Great."

"Are you ready for the blindfold?"

I took a deep breath, then nodded. "Yes."

Edward reached down to cup my face with one hand, his gaze turning completely serious. "You'll tell me immediately if you want to stop?"

"_Yes_," I insisted softly, though I knew that I would never need to do that. I trusted Edward completely.

His reassuring face was the last thing I saw before he placed another strip over my eyes, and suddenly, there was nothing but darkness.

I concentrated on the warm, silky feeling of the fabric against my skin, my mind still swirling with all of the possibilities that could stem from this . . . from Edward's avowal to be bolder, to return my affection instead of limiting it, to concentrate on building the intimacy between us and keep his strength in check the whole way . . . After being together for over a year and continually losing the battle, the fact that we had suddenly come to a truce was almost too overwhelming to take in.

I yelped in surprise – my thoughts were interrupted by a warm, wet tongue gliding in a quick circle around my belly button and then retreating.

I heard Edward's soft laugh from somewhere in the distance. With my sight gone, it was hard to pinpoint exactly where the noise was coming from, though he had to be close.

"You okay?" he murmured.

"Yes!" I gasped, my stomach still tingling from the brief, unexpected sensation. "More, please." My nerves were alive and ready now, anticipating the euphoric feeling of Edward's mouth against my skin.

He didn't respond, but I felt the bed shift slightly on my left side.

Once again, a flash of liquid fire started at the surface of my skin and sunk deep into my core as Edward's tongue lingered on my hipbone before gliding up my stomach in one graceful lick, sliding up my shirt until it rested at my ribcage. Before I could recover from the sensation, I sensed his presence even closer to me now . . . the bed dipped on my other side, and I realized that he was leaning over me, holding himself above me.

My breath caught in my throat as his tongue darted across my collarbone, moving leisurely up to my neck. His lips touched on the skin there, and without warning, his mouth created the sensation of a mini-vacuum, sucking in persistently, almost to the point of discomfort. Suddenly, with a startled gasp, it occurred to me what he was trying to do.

"You're giving me _hickey_!" I shrieked, knowing somewhere in the back of my head that it was probably around 2 a.m. and I should try to keep my voice down. "_Edward_!" I made a feeble attempt to push him away from me with my bound wrists, and all of a sudden I realized the extent to which trust was involved in this little exercise – I had little to no control of my movements while I was tied up.

He released my skin, and I felt him grin against my neck. "I thought you'd like a souvenir."

"I'm sure Forks will be delighted," I grumbled, though I had to acknowledge that a hickey was a small price to pay for what I was getting out of our little game.

Edward finished by planting a light kiss on top of what was sure to be my subtly bruised skin. I felt him moving downward . . . the bed was shifting again, near my thighs this time. I felt his lips on my right ankle, slowly moving upward in a mixture of white-hot licks, warm kisses, and sharp bites. I silently uttered a prayer of thanks to whatever force of Nature had reminded me to shave my legs this morning.

His mouth was passing my knee now, his hand trailing against my other leg at a matching pace. My heart started pounding at an alarming rate, and I began to squirm anxiously, torn between closing my quivering thighs together and holding them wide apart. How close was he going to come, before he . . . ? Would he . . . ?

His lips abruptly abandoned my skin when he reached my knee, and I had to bite my lip to avoid letting out a frustrated groan. But suddenly, just as the bed shifted once again, he placed an open-mouthed kiss on my inner thigh. My whole body flinched as though I'd been electrocuted, and I nearly screamed in shock.

"Breathe," he reminded me softly, wrapping each arm around a thigh and holding them both firmly apart. "Breathe deeply, Bella."

_Screw breathing_. If I let myself breathe, I may disrupt what could very well be the most magnificent dream I've ever had – because surely, this wasn't real. This was too perfect, too sublime to possibly be anything close to reality.

He kissed me again, this time on my other thigh . . . then again on the inside of the first one . . . He continued to alternate, sometimes pressing his teeth gently into the sensitive skin, other times trailing a series of hot liquid kisses upward, close . . . _so close_ . . . I couldn't stand this.

I arched my hips upward – sharply, instinctively, wanting and needing so much more. It was just then that I felt his cool arms slip away from my thighs as his pressure disappeared from the bed.

"Okay," he said suddenly, his voice sounding distant and tight. Before I had time to piece my thoughts together, he had untied my ankles and hands, and a flash of exceedingly bright light greeted my eyes as the blindfold was removed and I was reintroduced to the familiar surroundings of Edward's room. He was perched on the edge of the bed, his head resting in his hands, as he panted heavily. He looked like he'd just run a marathon.

"We have to stop," he muttered after a moment of silence had passed between us, the only sound being my sharp, uneven breathing. He looked up at me, his eyes pained. "I'm so sorry, Bella, but I can't go any further right now . . . I'm afraid . . . I mean . . . I might be too rough . . . I didn't mean to leave you right when you . . ."

I immediately moved, somewhat clumsily, to sit next to him, wrapping my arms around his chest without taking a moment to think if it was safe. "It's okay," I whispered, looking at his anguished expression and wanting more than anything to comfort him, to calm him, despite the mental and physical haze I was still in.

He sighed, resting his head on top of mine. We were quiet again, and I felt my body slowly, gradually calming down from the frenzy it had been worked up to just moments ago. I squeezed my eyes tightly shut, willing myself to forget about the sensations. I knew this wouldn't be the last time we tried. It would happen again, and eventually everything would work out just right.

With another soft sigh, Edward gently disengaged himself from me, moving to turn the lights off before getting into bed and pulling me over to his chest. I flopped against him like a ragdoll, suddenly aware of how exhausted I was.

"I'm sorry," he murmured again, and his voice sounded pained as he reached to stroke my hair. "I want so badly to be able to be a normal boyfriend to you-"

"You have nothing to apologize for. That was _amazing_." My eyes found his in the dark, and I tilted my chin upward to kiss him, ever so lightly, on his cool lips. "Thank you so, so much for pushing yourself."

Edward hugged me closer to him. "It was my pleasure – unfortunately not to the extent I would have _liked_ it to be, but . . . we'll get there."

I smiled at him, relieved to hear that he wasn't giving up on me yet. "We will," I assured him. I rested my head on his shoulder and closed my eyes, feeling my body continue to throb from the euphoric sensations that had continued to build before so abruptly coming to a halt. I didn't dwell on them for long – my eyelids suddenly felt heavy, and the feeling quickly spread to the entirety of my body. I was completely worn out.

_One day_, I thought to myself, _we'll get there_.

I could have sworn I heard Edward whisper my name, but I slipped from consciousness too quickly to find out.


	6. Vision

Author's Note: In response to some of the more recent comments, I _promise_ there is a reason for Edward's behavior, which will be hopefully be justified in the coming chapters.

***

I woke up to an interesting but not unpleasant contrast: the subtle warmth of the sun shining onto my skin combined with a slight chill from a cool arm wrapped around my shoulders, my head resting on a solid and equally cool chest.

My eyes fluttered opened, but they were quickly reduced to narrow slits as I adjusted to the intensity of the sunlight streaming into the room. After a moment I realized, in the midst of my morning disorientation, that this was not my room. Distractedly, I glanced around. The bright floor-to-ceiling windows… the stereo framed by rows upon rows of CDs… the plush gold carpet… the unfamiliar, wide bed… Slowly, gradually, the circuits in my brain began connecting, and I recalled with a surge of delight that I was in Edward's room. No, better yet – I was in Edward's_bed_. _With_ him.

When my eyes finally adjusted to the light, I sighed softly against the hard chest, snuggling closer to it, before glancing upward at its owner. Edward was grinning down at me with amused amber eyes, an open book in the free hand that wasn't fastened around my shoulders. He seemed to have enjoyed my momentary confusion.

"Morning," he murmured, a smile tugging at the corners of his lips. His face and chest, I suddenly realized, were glittering brilliantly.

"The sun," I groaned, throwing an arm over my face in an attempt to shield my eyes. "It's making me blind."

"And it's making me sparkle." He tapped the top of my head lightly with his paperback book, then sighed. "It_ is_ very sunny today, yet again," he agreed. "Aren't you lucky that it's the weekend and you get to spend time with me instead of going off to school alone?"

My arm still covering my eyes, I felt a smile creep up on my face as I realized that he was right – we had the entire weekend ahead of us and nothing to do but enjoy it. It felt like so much had happened in the last 24 hours . . . Edward and I had spent a lazy Friday afternoon in the meadow before going back to his house, where we . . . well, I couldn't even articulate everything that had happened. And now, it was Saturday, and we could do it all over again.

I looked up at him, and my face felt every bit as radiant as his skin. "You can show me some more advantages of the bed," I said pleasantly, running a finger along his cool cheek. I glanced sideways at the digital clock perched on an end table next to the couch-bed. Ten-thirty. Not bad at all. "We have all day," I added, raising my eyebrows hopefully.

Edward sighed, grinning down at me. "I think we both need to take a little break, for our sanity's sake."

I stuck out my lower lip and didn't respond, choosing instead to burrow deeper into the nook of his arm. As I glanced at my wrists, my thoughts flashed again to everything that had happened last night . . . the memory of it was overwhelming and surreal.

"How are you, by the way?" he asked after a moment. His voice sounded casual, but there was a trace of something else there . . . what was it . . . uncertainty?

"I'm great," I assured him quickly. I bit my lip, not knowing exactly where to go with this. But before I could think any longer, the words stumbled ungracefully out of my mouth, one after the other.

"So last night . . ." My finger began to trace the subtle defining lines of his abdomen as I fumbled for the right words. "Was that . . ." I already felt the color rising to my cheeks, betraying me, ". . . something you've always wanted to do, or . . . ?"

My own words sounded ridiculous to me. How was I flustered already? I bit my lip, silently cursing my lack of eloquence and hoping he would get the gist of what I was trying to say.

Edward sighed, stilling my fingers against his chest by placing his hand gently over mine. When he finally spoke, the words came out slowly. "It isn't a recurring thought, but it came to mind last night when you said that you wished you had a boyfriend who was more . . . _adventurous_."

I cringed at the last word, feeling a wave of guilt wash over me for my choice of words. I tilted my head up to face him directly, trying to make my look face as earnest as I felt.

"You are amazing for doing that," I told him, "but I am so sorry if I gave you the impression that you're somehow inadequate when you're just being you." I turned my head to softly kiss his shoulder. "I'm perfectly happy to just lie here and kiss you, and take things from there."

"But that's just it, Bella," he murmured, his cold grip pressing into the fingers he had trapped in his hand. "The moment you start to touch me, I feel myself beginning to lose control." He gritted his teeth and shook his head once. "I just wish I could explain it to you properly. You're so utterly irresistible to me that at times I feel _dangerous_. So I thought that . . . it might help to go at my own controlled pace, without feeling your touch, to see if that made things any easier."

He sighed again, releasing my fingers. "And even that didn't work the way I would have liked. You're irresistible even when you're rendered immobile," he said, a faint trace of a smile playing at his lips.

I stayed silent, contemplating Edward's words as I lay against his chest. If the problem stemmed from my touching him, how were we ever going to move forward while I was human? But, I reminded myself, there was hope. Yesterday afternoon, last night . . . we'd at least made it that far, hadn't we? With the right amount of patience, we'd make it further.

_As long as we keep trying, we'll get there_. That one thought gave me hope, and I clung to it for all it was worth.

"What are you reading?" I broke the silence as my gaze turned to the shiny cover of the paperback novel that rested, now closed, in his left hand.

"Dante," he murmured, winking at me. "Monday's homework."

I raised my eyebrows, the serious tone of our conversation all but forgotten as I took in his innocent expression. "You can't be serious. Only _you_ would ever think to do homework on a Saturday morning." I eyed the book suspiciously. "Haven't you read _Inferno_ at least eight times by now?"

"Something like that." He shrugged. "I guess I just have this fascination with hell. Considering everything you and I have done in the past day or so, I might as well get accustomed to my future."

I glared at him, not entirely sure if he was joking. "I thought you were already going to hell from the moment you realized you liked me," I pointed out.

"Well," he casually flipped open the book, "exactly what I do with you will determine which flaming circle of Dante's hell I end up in."

I stared at him blankly. I hadn't done the reading yet, like every other normal person in Forks' second period honors English class.

Edward nodded once toward the page he'd opened up to. "For example, Dante and Virgil are just entering the Eighth Circle. It has a section called the Malebolge, which holds people guilty of deliberate, knowing evil."

"I guess that's where we'll be going, then."

Edward grinned. "Know any demons? It would be good to make allies for when we have to face the thirteen of them who will be doling out our punishment."

"Does Mike Newton count?"

Edward considered this for a moment. "Not quite."

"I'll keep my eyes open, then."

Out of nowhere, as I finished speaking, my stomach let out an embarrassingly long, drawn-out growl. Edward laughed, and I silently cursed my human weaknesses. I hadn't even _felt_ hungry up until now.

"See, now aren't you glad we didn't decide to do anything inappropriate this morning?" he asked matter-of-factly, tossing Dante's_ Inferno_ clear across the room with a slight flick of his wrist. "We would've been interrupted, anyway."

I shook my head firmly. "No way. I would have prioritized."

Edward sighed and wrapped me in both his arms, holding me close to him until I felt my heart beating persistently between us. I eagerly wrapped my arms around his waist and returned the pressure, but before I had the chance to nuzzle his neck he released me, not noticing my reluctance to let go. He kissed me, quickly and lightly, on my lips. "Let's get you something to eat."

As soon as we arrived at the bottom of the stairs, I smelled a heady mix of syrup and bacon – an odd scent to be coming from the Cullens' house, but one that made my stomach growl loudly in approval.

Edward chuckled as he placed a hand around my waist and guided me toward the kitchen. "Alice," he informed me.

Sure enough, though I would have expected to see Esme bustling busily around the kitchen – or any room of the house, for that matter – it was Alice who donned a white ruffled apron and flitted gracefully from the stove to the cabinets to the counter, evidently immersed in preparing breakfast.

"Morning," she murmured, though she seemed distracted as she moved to set a plate of scrambled eggs, sausage links and French toast on the granite countertop. She motioned for me to sit down. "I saw that you'd be hungry – eat up."

I raised my eyebrows at the large platter. "Alice, I know you like mountain lions and bears, but I tend to stick with slightly smaller portions."

"Oh, come on!" She urged, taking my wrist and tugging me toward the breakfast bar. "Just eat _something_. I want to see if I actually made food the right way."

I glanced at Edward's amused expression before taking a seat. I picked up a fork and tentatively poked at the closest sausage link. "Are all of the ingredients edible by human standards?"

She rolled her eyes impatiently. "Just try it!"

I took a bite of the sausage, not knowing what to expect. To my relief, it was hot, tasty and thoroughly cooked. "Mmmmm," I exaggerated the sound as I rubbed my stomach with one hand. "Delicious, Alice."

She clapped her hands excitedly. "Excellent! Eat, eat, eat," she encouraged.

Edward joined me at the breakfast bar, while Alice leaned over the counter and watched me carefully. I suddenly felt incredibly self-conscious, as though my eating was a spectacle, but I tried to ignore it as I nibbled slowly on the grandiose meal Alice had prepared. I _was_ sort of hungry.

Alice must have gotten bored with watching me eat, because she started rearranging the tiny spice jars on a shelf near the countertop – undoubtedly there for display purposes only. Edward sat patiently, occasionally reaching to play with a lock of my hair when I wasn't chewing. After several minutes of silence, punctuated only by the soft sounds of fork against plate and clinking glass jars, Alice sighed and moved to lean over the counter once more, staring intently at Edward and me.

"So," she said hesitantly, drumming her well-manicured nails against the granite, "there's something I've been meaning to talk to you about."

Edward released the strand of my hair he'd been playing with and looked at her warily. "What is it?"

Alice sighed, her eyes flickering from me to Edward several times, before continuing. "You know how Carlisle and I came into your room yesterday to tell you about Landon? Oh, and sorry about the bad timing, by the way," she quickly added, observing Edward's answering frown.

"You said Bella was going to fall down the stairs if we waited any longer," he murmured, moving to cover my hand with his.

Alice sighed. "That's what I told Carlisle, but I was really just biding time until I got to talk to both of you alone."

I felt Edward stiffen beside me. He stared at Alice for a moment, his face unreadable.

"_What_?" he demanded angrily, his grip suddenly becoming fiercely tight around my hand. "What do you mean by _hazy_? How is that possible?"

I sighed impatiently. "Hello?" I reminded them. "Can we please speak in normal voices so that my non-telepathic brain can keep up?"

Alice pursed her lips, keeping her eyes on Edward.

"She can't see Landon's thoughts," he told me quietly, looking down at our joined hands as his hold softened. "But why?" His gaze returned to Alice. "He's one of us, so-"

"No idea," she muttered, shaking her head. "This has never happened before – nothing even remotely close." She turned to me. "Seeing futures is like surfing channels on TV. Every station comes in perfectly clear, and I've never gotten any static . . . until now. Suddenly, Landon appears as a garbled channel."

"I get it," I said impatiently. "But what if it's just a weird exception, kind of like how Edward can't read my mind?"

Alice frowned, apparently lost in thought as she stared at the plate of food in front of me. "It's not like I can't see anything, though," she said slowly. "I do see some things, but they're very unclear."

Edward's eyes narrowed as he looked at her. "What prompted you to interrupt us, then, if you were only seeing a muddled future?"

"Well, that's the thing," Alice said, biting her lower lip. "When Carlisle introduced me to Landon, I saw a very vague image involving you. I wanted to ask you about it first, but I ran into Carlisle again in the hallway on the way to your room, so I made something up on the spot instead."

"What did you see?" Edward nearly growled the question.

Alice squinted and shook her head once, apparently trying to remember. "I _think_ you were surrounded by trees, evidently in the forest," she gestured abstractly toward the vast sea of green beyond the floor-to-ceiling windows, "and you were walking alone, very calmly." Her perfectly tweezed eyebrows slanted downward as she continued to concentrate. "But something about it didn't seem right."

The kitchen lights hummed softly as Alice fell silent, and neither I nor Edward responded. I picked absentmindedly at my breakfast, using my fork to turn over a piece of French toast that had undoubtedly turned cold by now. I no longer felt hungry, just confused.

Much as I tried, I couldn't fight the nagging feeling in the back of my head that Carlisle was right – everybody is overreacting about Landon. First Edward, and now Alice . . . I hadn't heard anything from either of them that proved Landon was anything but a decent guy, temporarily passing through the Cullens' house. Edward and I hadn't even spent five minutes with him, and he'd already become a target.

I set my fork down, trying to rationalize this. "So, Landon made a decision that somehow results in Edward walking through the forest?"

Alice frowned and stomped her foot. "It's more than that, though," she insisted. "It just didn't _feel_ right."

I turned to Edward, who had been silent for several minutes, only to see his upper lip curl back to reveal his ivory-white teeth in a sneer that raised goose bumps on my skin. Bewildered, I whipped my head around the kitchen to find the cause. My eyes abruptly focused on Landon's tall, lanky frame leaning casually against a wall at the entrance of the room, his form partially obscured by the shadows from the hall.


	7. Uncomfortable

Author's Note: I apologize for the delay! Though I have this story completely outlined, I was having a bit of writer's block with the chapter itself... but it seems to have passed. :) I hope you enjoy.

***

"Good morning." Landon's voice rang, cordial and deep, through the silent room.

I could feel the color rushing to my face as my heart thumped impatiently in my chest. _Had he been standing there the entire time_? I stared blankly at his shadowy figure, my mind suddenly kicking into overdrive as I searched for some way – any way – to justify the bizarre conversation he had probably just overheard. At this point, I felt _sorry_ for him.

One quick glance around told me that I was pretty much on my own in the sympathy department. Edward sat perfectly straight in his chair, his body tense and alert. Alice, who had her back toward the doorway, only closed her eyes and shook her head imperceptibly.

"Morning," I responded automatically, but I was the only one who spoke.

Landon took several steps into the kitchen, and I couldn't seem to tear my eyes away from his slowly advancing form. The bright rays of sunlight made his features completely visible, and I gasped – to my utter shock, a pleasant smile had spread across his attractive face.

"Sunny day today, isn't it?" His tone was light and conversational, and his eyes were focused directly on me as he approached. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Edward lean forward in his seat, one hand coming to rest directly in front of me on the counter, almost as though he were shielding me from an invisible attack.

Once again, Landon either didn't notice or chose to ignore Edward's hostility as he leaned over the counter next to Alice, who suddenly looked like a dwarf next to his long-limbed frame.

"The sunlight was streaming into my room so forcefully that I thought I'd try to seek refuge down here, but it doesn't appear to be much better." He chuckled softly, though his laughter didn't quite hold the same musical quality as Edward's.

I swallowed once to moisten my dry mouth. "Been down here long?"

Landon shook his head. "No, I just emerged from doing a bit of reading, actually." He frowned, cocking his head to one side. "Why do you ask? Did I miss something?"

I felt a wave of relief wash over me, so strong that I sagged visibly into my chair. There would be no need to referee a vampire fight after all. "Just Alice's first attempt at human food," I gestured toward the plate, trying to keep my tone light. I meant it as a joke, but Landon leaned forward to examine my half-eaten meal, genuinely interested.

"May I?" He extended his hand toward mine, palm up, and it took me a moment to comprehend that he was asking for my fork. The muscles in Edward's arm, still resting between us, tensed visibly.

"I . . . didn't think you liked regular food," I muttered, my warm fingertips briefly brushing Landon's cool ones as I gave him the utensil.

"He doesn't," Edward muttered sharply, his gaze hard and unwavering on Landon's face. "At least, he _shouldn't_."

"Oh, I don't," Landon answered cheerfully, spearing a half-eaten sausage link and holding it up to his nose for a few quick sniffs. "But it does fascinate me." I barely concealed my surprise as he popped the food into his mouth and swallowed it. He shifted his gray eyes to Alice, who was now observing him with raised eyebrows. "For a first attempt at human food, not bad at all," he told her with a grin.

"Well, since it's only been a century or so since you've tasted real food, I guess you're the expert," she muttered acidly, "so you should know."

Landon set down the fork with a loud clank and exhaled sharply. His eyes flickered from Edward to Alice, who both glared back at him. "You know, I initially thought it was an overreaction on my part, but I really do seem to be sensing some hostility here," he said quietly.

"It looks like you're not the only one who can read minds, Edward," Alice muttered, swiftly removing the breakfast platter from the counter and taking it over to the sink.

Landon paused, his eyes narrowing as he followed Alice's tiny frame across the kitchen. "Read minds?" He turned his head sharply toward Edward. "You can see others' thoughts?"

"I can." Edward's voice was bitingly cold now, and I shuddered involuntarily at his side. "Speaking of which, I didn't much care for the garbage that was going through your head yesterday evening."

"Edward!" I hissed warningly. I nudged him in the side with my elbow, but I might as well have bumped a brick wall for all the good that did. "Let it go," I muttered, trying unsuccessfully to make my voice sound as fierce as his. The last thing I wanted was to be in the middle of a vampire confrontation – much less one that was caused directly by me.

Landon's friendly disposition had melted away completely. His face was expressionless, and I would have thought he were a marble statue if it weren't for his eyes, which flickered slowly across Edward's face. Was he . . . sizing him up? I swallowed nervously, reaching to grasp Edward's cool hand. How had things become so uncomfortable so quickly?

Landon opened his mouth to speak, annunciating each word slowly and carefully. "If this is about . . . _Bella_ . . ."

I jumped suddenly in my chair as a loud, shrill sound rang through the kitchen and abruptly cut Landon short. The Cullens' telephone. I'd never heard the sound before – it was more high pitched than a regular phone.

Landon pressed his lips shut and returned Edward's cold stare with an intensity that compelled me to look away. Alice, who was busy scraping my former breakfast into the garbage disposal, reached for the receiver next to the sink.

"Cullen residence." Her voice was like a wind chime in the silent kitchen. She listened for a moment, nodding her head once. "Sure, I'll get her." Alice danced across the room, then, handing me the phone with a sympathetic look. She didn't seem to be paying attention to the hostility emanating from both Edward and Landon. Silently, she mouthed to me, "It's Charlie."

A wave of nausea washed over me as I realized what it meant if Charlie was calling the Cullens' house, looking for me. I had _told_ him last night that I was staying at Jessica's . . . I took the phone from Alice with a soft groan. "Hello?" I said tentatively.

"You . . . have . . . a _lot_ . . . of explaining . . . to do, young _lady_ . . ." Charlie's voice was the very epitome of poorly controlled rage.

I sighed into the phone. "Dad, I'm sorry, I know I shouldn't have lied to you about staying over, but-"

"Do you have any _idea_ how I felt calling the Stanley house and asking to talk to you, only to be told that you were never _there_?" He sputtered. "That Stanley woman has the biggest mouth in _town_, Bella – _everyone_ is going to know about this by tomorrow!"

I rolled my eyes. "There's nothing to _tell_, dad. I stayed over at the Cullens' house to be with Alice. She was having boy trouble, so she needed someone to talk to." I grimaced – how had lying become this natural to me? Alice threw her head back and laughed in the background, quickly covering her mouth with her hand.

Charlie paused before letting out a gruff noise of acknowledgement. "Why didn't you just tell me that yesterday?" he asked, his rage diminishing ever so slightly.

"Because I knew you would jump to these kinds of conclusions, dad," I said, trying my best to sound exasperated. "I knew you'd assume that I was with Edward, so it was just easier to tell you I'd be with Jess."

There was a long pause on the other end, followed by a lengthy sigh. "You just scared me for a minute, there, kid," Charlie mumbled, his voice assuming the calmness I knew too well. I closed my eyes in relief – he was sounding more like himself now. "Next time just tell me the _truth_." He cleared his throat noisily before quietly grumbling, "You know I'm crazy about Alice – it wouldn't have been a problem."

"Sorry, dad." I bit my lip, hoping that I sounded remorseful enough to placate him for the time being. A fit from Charlie was the last thing I needed right now. I could still feel the hostility emanating from the two male vampires sitting several feet away from me, both of whom hadn't so much as flinched from their cold, locked glares.

"So, when're you going to be home?" he asked gruffly.

My heart thudded in my chest as I remembered back to Edward's words about Landon. _I'm not letting you out of my sight until he's gone_. This could be a problem.

"It, uh, really depends," I responded, trying to keep my voice even. "Alice is crying a lot and everything, so she might need me to be here for a while." Alice raised an eyebrow at me from across the counter, and I met her amused stare with a pleading look.

"Oh," Charlie muttered awkwardly. I could smell my victory now. He was officially out of his element, in unknown, undesirable territory – female territory. _If I'm going to lie, I might as well do it effectively_, I told myself, trying to curb my flash of guilt.

"Well, just let me know when you're coming home. I might go out fishin' with the guys if you'll be gone for a while."

"Sounds good, dad. Talk to you later." I didn't wait for him to respond as I pushed the disconnect button and placed the phone in my lap, returning back to what was fast becoming a potentially dangerous situation.

Somewhere in the course of my conversation with Charlie, Alice had become interested in the unbroken glare between Edward and Landon. She was looking back and forth between the two marble faces, her expression unreadable.

"Look," I spoke to no one in particular, not caring that my voice wreaked of desperation, "Let's just calm down, okay? This does not have to be a big deal at all. In fact, I would be very upset if this turns into-"

The shrill ring sounded again, making me jump in my seat a second time. I jerked the phone to my ear and answered it impatiently. "Dad, is it really necessary-"

"Hello? Is this the Cullen residence?" A feminine voice – soft, musical, but slightly anxious – sounded on the other end of the line.

"Oh. Oh! I-I'm sorry," I stammered, noticing all three sets of vampire eyes lock curiously on me. I exhaled in relief – at least I had inadvertently broken that damn stony glare. "I'm so sorry," I repeated to the stranger, distracted. "Yes, it is."

I heard a sigh on the other end. "Thank goodness. This is Blythe Whitley. I was told by Tanya in Denali that my brother, Landon, is staying at your house? He was supposed to arrive at my home in New Orleans last night, so I was worried, and, well," she laughed airily, "I suppose I'm just overreacting. Is he there?"

A relative of Landon's? I blinked as I suddenly recalled what Carlisle had said yesterday, standing in the doorway to Edward's room . . . _He stopped by on the way south to visit his sister_.

I heard a rustling sound in the kitchen, but I stared intently at my lap as I felt the blood creep up to form twin red spots on my cheeks. I suddenly felt very foolish for having answered the Cullens' phone in the first place.

"Uh, sure," I murmured to the sister, Blythe. "Hang on, he's right here."

I looked up across the countertop. "Landon, it's your-," I stopped abruptly as I found myself staring at the cabinets at the far end of the kitchen. Confused, I looked jerkily from Edward to Alice, who both stared at me warily, before whipping my head around the room. I hadn't even noticed the footsteps or seen the retreating figure, but Landon was gone.


End file.
